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Friday, April 22, 2016

While stations across the country have responded to the passing of Prince today, the biggest response has been in his hometown of Minneapolis.

Three stations have gone non-stop Prince today: AAA “89.3 The Current” KCMP, Urban AC 89.9 KMOJ, Hubbard Hot AC “KS95” 94.5 KSTP-FM, and Northern Lights Urban “Go 95.3” KZGO. Most of the other stations in the market have paid tribute in some fashion and are sprinkling his songs throughout the day.

From the time TMZ first broke the news of his passing at 11:49am, it took eighteen minutes for the first station to break in with the news and his music. KZGO was first at 12:07 with iHeartMedia Classic Hits “Kool 108” KQOL right behind a minute later. Those stations were followed by 104.1 KZJK at 12:11, 102.9 WMNB at 12:15, 96.3 KTWN at 12:28, 101.3 KDWB at 12:35, KSTP-FM at 12:35, 105.1 WGVX at 12:57, and 97.1 WTCZ at 1:02 according to BDS monitoring of the market.

The Minneapolis market has paid tribute to Prince in multiple ways online. KSTP’s website features a giant banner at the top proclaiming “This Is What It Sounds Like When Doves Cry”. Sports 100.3 KFXN has painted its logo purple and inserted Prince’s logo. KMOJ issued a press release bragging that they were the first station to play his songs on the air. Classic Hip-Hop “105 The Vibe” WGVX host Tony Fly has posted his on-air tribute, and CHR 101.3 KDWB morning host Dave Ryan has been posting videosfrom the growing gathering at Prince’s Paisley Park home.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Contemporary/Urban Jazz Keyboardist, Pianist and Songwriter Bob Baldwin Pays Homage to Music Legend Stevie Wonder with the Release of project “MelloWonder”: Songs in the Key of Stevie – Coming June 16th, 2015

LISTEN TO “LOVE’S LIGHT IN FLIGHT”!

One of the more consistent and long time purveyors of jazz music, Bob Baldwin, is getting set to step into the limelight again with the release of his 21st CD to date – “MelloWonder: Songs in the Key of Stevie,” from City Sketches Inc. on June 16th. The project celebrates the legacy of music legend Stevie Wonder and boasts over 14 tracks of great memorable covers, including “Love’s Light in Flight,” “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You),” “Love’s in Need of Love Today” and much more. The players assisting Mr. Baldwin on the special album are U-Nam, Marion Meadows, Chieli Minucci, Ragan Whiteside, Jorel “J-Fly” Flynn, Tres Gilbert, Dr. Derek Scott, Toni Redd, Stanley Thompson, and more.

Bob Baldwin is constantly on the move. Since 2000, Mr. Baldwin had 7 Top 20 Billboard Contemporary Jazz chartings, traveled all over the world in sharing his love and passion for music with his large fanbase & is still active with his radio syndication program called NewUrbanJazz, with over 453,000 listeners weekly.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Lance Venta | May 27, 2015 With Rush Limbaugh soon to depart Entercom’s 680 WRKO Boston after the company and Premiere Radio Networks failed to reach agreeable terms, Daly XXL Communications has said that it too has passed on picking up the show for its Conservative Talk 1510 WMEX.

The University of North Carolina’s 91.5 WUNC Chapel Hill/Raleigh will see its programming expand southward into Fayetteville immediately. WUNC has announced the acquisition of Public News/Talk/Jazz 91.9 WFSS Fayetteville from Fayetteville State University for $1.35 million in cash plus $400,000 in additional underwriting and internships for FSU students. The WFSS license will be transferred to the newly created WUNC Public Radio, LLC. WFSS will immediately begin operating as a simulcast of WUNC, leading to the end of the Jazz programming that made up the bulk of the WFSS schedule from 9am to 2pm and 6:30pm to 5am weekdays. It joins a WUNC network also heard on 90.9 WRQM Rocky Mount, 91.1 WUNW Welcome/Lexington, 88.9 WUND-FM and 90.9 WURI Manteo, and 90.5 WBUX Buxton/Cape Hatteras.

Not only did jazz pioneer Bobby Sanabria forged his path to re-add the Latin Jazz Grammy catagory back into the Grammy selections, he was awarded with a Grammy nomination for that very category. Congrats to Bobby Sanabria for winning the fight to keeping the jazz grammys more diverse.

Bob Baldwin appeared at the Capital Jazz Cruise in October, 2012 and had a blast. He reflects on that moment in time.

"To hang with such decade-crossing legends as Earl Klugh, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, George Clinton, as well as some of my peers like Eric Roberson, Lalah Hathaway, Gerald Albright, Marcus Johnson, Boney James and others...was quite a treat.

Cliff Hunte is great visionary and wish him continued success as he forges into another decade."

Friday, February 17, 2012

Dozens of musicians demonstrated outside the Grammy Awards on Sunday protesting the Recording Academy’s decision to eliminate dozens of ethnic music award categories, including Hawaiian, Haitian, Cajun, Latin jazz, contemporary blues and regional Mexican. Some protesters see racial bias in the revisions, others see them as harmful to low-budget indie labels. Last August, four Latin jazz artists filed a lawsuit with the New York Supreme Court claiming that the dropping of such categories had adversely affected their careers. They also said the academy was violating its "contractual obligations" to its 21,000 members. We speak to Oscar Hernández

Daniel Radcliffeoffended by "Harry Potter" Oscar snub: "'I don't think the Oscars like commercial films, or kids' films, unless they're directed by Martin Scorsese,' Radcliffe said. 'I was watching "Hugo" the other day and going, "Why is this nominated and we're not?" I was slightly miffed.' He added: 'There's a certain amount of snobbery. It's kind of disheartening. I never thought I'd care. But it would've been nice to have some recognition, just for the hours put in.'"GUARDIAN

By Justino Aguila, Los Angeles

More than a dozen musicians, community leaders and supporters dropped off a thick stack of documents on Thursday (Feb. 9) with a reported 23,000 signatures at the Recording Academy headquarters as part of an ongoing effort to compel the organization into reinstating 31 categories that were eliminated last year.

The protesting group, comprised mostly of Latin jazz musicians, are also planning to protest the Grammy Awards show on Sunday outside the Staples Center and will later have their own showcase at Mama Juana's nightclub in Studio City at 4 p.m. in an effort to spread the word that their fight is not over.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

UPDATE, FEB, 6, 1:56 P.M.: Presente.org andGrammywatch.org, which has its own petition in circulation, are joining forces in calling for a protest this Saturday over the slashing of Grammy Award categories.

Come Support Musicians- Blues, Mexican, Latin Jazz, Gospel, Cajun, Native American, Hawaiian, others- fighting for music justice!Join us in sending a message to Grammy President, Neil Portnow and the Grammy Board and Demand that they Reinstate the Musical Categories now!

The action is being called for from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, with folks gathering at the corner of S. Figueroa and W. Pico Blvd. in Downtown Los Angeles. Greg Esparza, vocalist with Chicano soul band Thee Midnighters, has already stated his intention to attend. Later that day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. is an Alternative Grammy Party scheduled to take place at Mama Juana's Latin Lounge in Studio City.

Activists invite people to come and listen to the very music the Grammys are set to stop formally recognizing.

By Justino Aguila, Los Angeles

In an ongoing effort to reinstate 31 categories that were eliminated from the Grammy Awards, musicians are planning a protest and a musical showcase on the same day as 54th installment of the awards show on Feb. 12, according to a spokesman for the recording artists who filed a lawsuit last year against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).

The protests, mostly by Latin jazz musicians and their supporters, are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles outside the Staples Center from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Artists, community leaders and music fans will gather at the corner of Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard, according to a spokesperson for Grammy Watch Group Los Angeles, a coalition of musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Roy Ayers Project is first and foremost a documentary, produced by digital media professionals, telling the life, music, and philosophy of the great Roy Ayers. It is also art, talented artists who use their gifts to express themselves through canvas, murals, and other mediums capturing the spirit of Roy Ayers. It is also performance, bringing together Roy Ayers himself with talented musicians to perform live at venues across the country. The Roy Ayers Project is about sharing the essence and legacy of one of the greatest musicians ever to live. This trailer is the first installment of the documentary, which features the legendary drummer from The Roots, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

Keep track of this must-see project on Twitter, Facebook, and on the Web.